Keyshia Cole Talks ‘Love & Hip Hop Hollywood’, Upcoming Album

July 24 2017 by Adelle Platon

Keyshia Cole Talks ‘Love & Hip Hop Hollywood’, Upcoming Album

July 24 2017 by Adelle Platon

R&B singer Keyshia Cole has been working on herself. Since the release of her last album, 2014′s Point of No Return, the 35-year-old songstress became a mother to now six-year-old, Daniel Gibson Jr., and went through a public divorce with former NBA player, Daniel “Boobie” Gibson, after calling out his alleged infidelity on social media following six years of marriage.

Three years later, Cole has flipped the script on both her personal and professional endeavors as a star on VH1′s Love & Hip Hop Hollywood. Returning to small screens on Monday, July 24 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, cameras will trail the “Love” singer as she bosses up with her own imprint under a new deal with Epic Records (she had been signed to Interscope for a decade under the helm of Jimmy Iovine and Ron Fair) in efforts to own her masters. She will also be putting in overtime while working on her upcoming seventh studio album, 11:11 Reset.

“We discussed what would be filmed prior and it seemed like a good situation to me overall,” Cole tells TIDAL over the phone of her discussions with the LHHH team, including executive producer Mona Scott- Young. “There was a discussion about everything that I have going on in my life and we spoke about what could be helpful to young ladies ‘cause I always keep that in mind.”

Her own support system included three men: rap executive Jas Prince; her biological father and well-known boxing trainer, Virgil Hunter, and undefeated boxer, Floyd Mayweather. “Jas Prince told me that it was smart to do [the imprint] and ever since then, I’ve had my eyes on it but I was signed to Interscope for 10 years and Jimmy [Iovine] had left me and so did Ron [Fair] so I thought it was best to start new relationships,” she explains.

“Jas Prince introduced me to my father and he gave me a few pointers about starting my own record label, how hard it was and what it takes. Floyd’s always very supportive, and always tell me to keep going, put that work in,” Cole continues. “I had given up so much hope in men but I come to find that once they get a little older, they get a little smarter.”

While Cole didn’t get deep into her relationship with her ex-husband, she says the focus of her role in the show is to keep the drama to a minimum. “I don’t have too much drama going on. The focus is me being happy with myself,” she offers. “With everything that’s going on, if there’s an opportunity for being thankful and just feeling blessed, then that’s what I’m living right now. The focus is the music. The focus is having a great relationship with my child’s father so that we can co-parent well together and just realizing that everything happens for a reason. We’re just paying it forward.”

She’s still putting the final touches on both the imprint, including copyrighting the logo, and her album but shares that she has a lot of real-life experience to pull from. “I never been 35 before so every album is gonna be different,” she says of the project, which is slated to feature DJ Khaled, Remy Ma, French Montana, Young Thug and others. Her son was also a huge factor in the content, as the mommy-of-one says that she isn’t trying to curse on the record.

As for the project’s title, it’s a nod to the time she was born, 11:11, and the start of a new chapter in her life. “Everything is pretty much starting over for me right now and having the new label [Epic], being at Interscope for 10 years, going through my divorce, my son is turning 7 and having that opportunity to have my own imprint and own my own masters, I’m definitely in a reset moment—and the right one,” she says. “Everything is just coming together. I met my father for the first time a year ago. I’m trying to keep positive things around me and make sure I keep a good perspective as much as I can on everything that’s going on because when I think about 11:11, I have to be mindful that God is watching me, he’s got my back and the angels are around me, protecting me at all times.”

Cole then offers her best Iyanla Vanzant-like words of wisdom. “You can’t be content with what’s going on because too many times, we put too much on where we need to be and how fast we’re getting there when everyday counts. Everything that’s happened is happening for a reason. Don’t rush it, don’t be too eager to get to the finish line. It’s just an everyday process. As long as you’re moving, you’re getting there.”

TIDAL is proud to announce the world's first music service with
High Fidelity sound quality, High Definition music videos and expertly curated Editorial.